AS we await the outcome of a vote on the leader of the Labor Party and raw politicking is writ large it is worth pondering the fate of Syria.
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The Middle East country has been ravaged by violence since early last year when an uprising began as part of the Arab Spring, the movement which saw tyrannical regimes overthrown from Tunisia to Libya to Egypt.
But for the people of Syria there has been no joyous moments, like those seen in Cairo’s Tahrir Square when Hosni Mubarak was defeated.
Instead dictatorial President Bashar al-Assad is unflinching as terror grips his country, with the besieged city of Homs witness to atrocities which have claimed the lives of many citizens as well as international journalists this week.
A conference in Tunisia overnight, involving 60 nations, was to discuss humanitarian help for Syria and push for a ceasefire in the blighted country.
Would-be Labor leader Kevin Rudd was scheduled to attend the forum as foreign minister.
Now he is in Australia fighting to be prime minister again.
He and Australians can be extremely thankful we live in a country where leadership rows involve metaphorical blood-letting rather than real bloodbaths.